Safety appliance for gas apparatus.



J. M. STABEL.

SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR GAS APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 27.1914. 1,204,081. Patented Nov. 7, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

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SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR GAS APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 21.1914.

1 204,081 Patent-ed Nov. 7, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

FHQOZO Q 16 15 -GAIS rran snares Parana oriaron JOSEPH 1VI. STABEL, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO DOMESTIC APPLIANCES COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR GAS APPARATUS.

1,2oa,os1.

. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 7, 1916.

Original application filed May 19, 1913, Serial No. 768,683. Divided and this application filed July 27, 1914. Serial No. 853,448.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH M. STAB-EL, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Appliances for Gas Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to appliances by which the operation of gas-heated apparatus may be safe-guarded through the interlocking of various parts, including gasvalves and water-valves, and the door of a burner-chamber.

The application is a division of my pending application for Letters Patent of the United States filed May 19, 1913, Serial No. 768,683, and the invention is'particularly useful in connection with a gas-heated steam-generator, although applicable in certain respects to other forms of apparatus in'which gas-burners are used for heating purposes.

One object of the invention is to prevent the user of a gas-heated device from opening the door of the burner-chamber when gas is flowing from the burners, and to thls end I employ an interlocking device between such door and a valve by which the supply of gas to the burner is controlled.

Another object of the invention is to insure that when the pilot-light of the apparatus is shut off, the gas-supply to the burner shall also be shut off, and to this end I employ interlocking arrangements between the valves for controlling thesupply of gas to the pilot-light and to the burners.

A third object of the invention, relating particularly to its use in connection with a gas-heated steam-generator, is to provide against the introduction of water to the generator when the apparatus has been thrown out of operative condition by the closure of one of the gas-valves.

To the foregoing ends I employ various features of construction and arrangement, which will be hereinafter set forth in con nection with the description of the illustrated embodiment of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 is a partial side-elevation of vacuumcleaning apparatus provided with the safetyappliances of the present invention, this apparatus including a gas-heated steam-generator shown partly in section; Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 in Fig. 2, showing the apparatus in normal operative position; Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, except that it shows the parts in the position in which the gas is shut off from both the burners and the pilot-light; and Fig. 5 is a perspective view, on a somewhat larger scale than the other figures, of the lockingmember attached to the main gas-valve.

The apparatus illustrated in the drawings is similar to that disclosed in my said application, and constitutes portions of a steamgenerator and a vacuum-cleaning device similar, in their operation, to the machine disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States to Louise IV. G. Flynt, No. 1,037,831, dated September 10, 191-2. relates only to the operation of the steamgenerator, however, the parts peculiar to the operation of the apparatus as a vacuumcleaner are not particularly illustrated or described. The steam-generator comprises a boiler-tube 10, which is heated by a set of gas-burners 11, fed with gas through a hollow burner-ring 12. This ring is connected, through a nipple 13, with a gasregulating valve 14 which, in turn, is fed through a gassupply pipe 15. the flow of gas being controlled further by a main gas-valve 16 having the form of an ordinary plug-cock. The gas-regulating valve 14 constitutes no part of the present invention, and is not particularly described and illustrated.

The boiler-tube 10 and the burners 11 are inclosed in a casing 17, which is provided with a door 18 through which access may be had, when necessary, to the burners and to the pilot-light by which they are started in operation. This door is hinged upon lugs 19, and is provided with a spring 20 by which it is normally held in closed position. Thepilot-light' 21 is located within the easing, adjacent to the burners 11, and is supplied with gas through a by-pass pipe 22 leading from the casing of the main gasvalve 16, and controlled by a plug-cock 23 of which the casing is integral with the casing of the main valve, as shown particularly in Fig. 1.

In case the pilot-light becomes extinguished from any cause, it is necessary to open the door 18 in order to relight the pilot-light,

As the present invention but it is important that by no possibility shall the gas-supply be turned on to the burners 11 at this time, as in such a case a dangerous explosion may occur within the casing, owing to the discharge of unburned gas into the casing. Accordingly, the main gas-valve 16 is arranged to interlock with the door 18 of the casing. For the foregoing purpose a locking-member 25 is fixed upon the stem 26 of the gas-valve 16, so as to turn therewith. This locking-member has an inwardly-projecting segmental flange 27, which cooperates with a lug 28 projecting from the door 18. The valve 16 is operated by a handle 29, and'when this handle is in the horizontal position shown in Figs. 2 and 3, corresponding to the open position of the valve 16, the flange 27 lies directly in the path of movement of the lug 28. Accordingly, it is impossible at this time to open the door 18. By swinging the handle 2.) downwardly, however, and thus closing the valve 16, the flange 27 is brought to a position beneath the lug 28, as shown in Figs. 1 and 1, and the lug 28 may then pass freely, thus permitting the door to be opened.

It is of almost equal importance to prevent the opening of the valve 16 after the door 18 has been opened, and while it remains in open position. Accordingly, I employ a device for locking the valve 16 in closed position while the door is open. This device comprises a lever 30, pivoted at 31 in the casing 17, and having an arm 32' which coiiperates with the locking-member 25, a second arm 34; which cooperates with the door 18, and a third arm 35 which is engaged by a compression-spring 36. This spring tends to force the arms 32 and 3t outwardly. The arm 32 cooperates with a segmental projection 33 on the lockingmember 25, but when the door is in closed position the lever 30 is held, against the oppo sition of the spring36, by the engagement of the arm 3% with the inner surface of the door, in a position in which the arm 32 lies clear of the projection 33, as shown in Fig. 2. Assuming the valve 16 to be in closed position, however, as shown in Fig. a, if the door be opened the arm 32 swings outwardly, so that it lies beneath a shoulder at the extremity of the projection 33, and with the parts in this position it is impossible to open the valve 16. When the door has been closed again, the parts are returned to normal position, so that the valve 16 can then be opened. V

The valve 23, by which the flow of gas to the pilot-light is controlled, is provided with a handle 37 by which it may be turned. When the apparatus is not to be used for a long period of time it is customary to close the valve 23 and extinguish the pilot-light. As any flow of gas to the burners 11 at such a time can result only in a waste of gas, it is desirable that the main gas valve 1611c always closed when the valve 23 is closed,

and accordingly I employ an interlocking arrangement to nsure the previous closing gagement with the arm 38, prevents the pilot-valve 23 from being closed, as shown in Fig. 3. 7 closed, however, the locking-member 25 is brought to a position in which a segmental recess a0 is opposite the end of the arm 38, as shown'in Fig. 4, the valve 16 the pilot-valve 23 may be closed.

The boiler-tube 10. is fed with water through a pipe 11, connected with any suit able source of supply and controlled by a plug-cock ea. As the generator cannot'op crate when the flow of gas isinterrupteid, it is desirable to prevent the introduction of feed-water to the boiler at .such a time, and accordingly I interconnect the water valve 12 with one of the gas-valves, so thatit shall.

be closed simultaneously therewith, and for this purpose 1 preferably employ the pilotvalve 23. The valve 42 is provided with an arm 43, which is connected, by a link 41, with an arm on'the handle 37 of the pilot valve 23. When thelatter valve is in closed position, as shown in Fig. 1, the'connections just described serve to turn thewater-valve 42 also to closed position. 7 Inthis connection the interlocking action of the pilot After the valve 16 has been and in'this position of ing of the water-valve 42 until the main gas-valve, has first been closed so as to exeral, limitedto the embodiment thereofhereinbefore described and illustrated, in the accompany ng drawings, but may be employed 111 various other forms wlthin the nature of the invention as it is defined'in the follow ing claims. Y

I claim: V r

1. The combination with a gas-burner and a casing inclosing the burner, the; latter be ing provided with an opening and with a closure therefor, of a manually-operable valve for controlling theflow of gas to the burner adapted to be operated independently of said closure, and'locki-ng means 7 for locking said valve in closed position adapted to be held out of engagement with said valve by said closure when the latter is in its closed position and to lock said valve in closed position when released by the opening of the closure.

2. In combination with a gas-burner, a manually-operable valve for controlling the flow of gas to the biu ner, and a casing inclosing the burner and provided with an opening and with a closure therefor; a locking-member connected with the valve; and a detent tending to move into engagement with said locking-member to lock the valve in closed position; the detent having a part which is engaged by said closure when the latter is in closed position, whereby the detent is normally held in inoperative position.

3. The combination with a gas-burner and a casing inclosing the burner, the latter be ing provided with an opening and with a closure therefor, of a manually-operable valve for controlling the flow of gas to the burner adapted to be operated independently of said closure and provided with means adapted when said valve is open to engage said closure in its closed position and to lock it in that position.

4. The combination with a gas-burner and a casing inclosing the burner, the latter being provided with an opening and with a closure therefor, of a. manually-operable valve for controlling the flow of gas to the burner adapted to be operated independently of said closure and provided with means adapted when said valve is open to engage said closure in its closed position and to lock it in that position, and means for locking said valve in its closed position adapted to be held out of engagement with said valve by said closure when the latter is in its closed position and to lock said valve in closed position when released by the opening of said closure.

5. In combination with a gas-burner, a manually-operable valve for controlling the flow of gas to the burner, a pilot-light associated with the burner, a manually-operable valve for controlling the flow of gas to the pilot-light, and a casing inclosing the burner and the pilot-light and provided with an opening affording access to the pilot-light and with a closure for said opening; means cooperating with and controlled by said closure for locking closed the valve controlling the supply of gas to the burner while the closure is open; and means cooperating with both of said valves for locking in open position the valve for controlling the supply of gas to the pilot-light, while the valve for controlling the supply of gas to the burner is in open position.

6. In combination with a gas-burner and a pilot-light associated therewith, of a casing inclosing the same, provided with an opening and a closure therefor, of two adjacently located manually-operable, rotary valves for controlling the flow of gas to the burner and pilot-light, respectively, of a locking member rotatively connected with the bu rner-val ve, adapted when said burnervalve is open to lock said closure in closed position and also adapted when said burnervalve is open to engage with a rotary part of the pilot-light valve to lock that valve in open position.

7. In combination with a gas-burner, of a casing lnclosing the same, provided with an opening and a closure therefor, a manuallyoperable valve for controlling the flow of gas to the burner, a detent adapted to be moved by closing the closure, and a locking member rotatively connected with the burner-valve, adapted" when the burnervalve is open to engage said closure to lock it in closed position, and provided with a shoulder adapted to engage said detent when released by the opening of the closure whereby said burner-valve is locked in closed position.

8. In combination with a gas-burner and a pilot-light associated therewith, of a casing inclosing the same, provided with an opening and a closure therefor, manuallyoperable valves for controlling the flow of gas to the burner and pilot-light, respectively, a detent adapted to be moved by closing the closure, and a locking member rotatively connected with the burner-valve, adapted when the burner-valve is open to engage said closure to lock it in its closed position, and provided with shoulders adapted, respectively, to be engaged by the detent when the latter is released by the opening of the closure, and also adapted when said burner-valve is open to engage a part rotative with the pilot-light valve whereby the pilot-light valve is locked against rotation.

JOSEPH M. STABEL.

Witnesses:

O. W. CARROLL, D. GURNEE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, I). G. 

